Cultural Appropriation and the Arts

Now, for the first time, a philosopher undertakes a systematic
investigation of the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural
appropriation gives rise.

Cultural appropriation is a pervasive feature of the
contemporary world (the Parthenon Marbles remain in London; white
musicians from Bix Beiderbeck to Eric Clapton have appropriated
musical styles from African-American culture)

Young offers the first systematic philosophical investigation
of the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation
gives rise

Tackles head on the thorny issues arising from the clash and
integration of cultures and their artifacts

Questions considered include: “Can cultural appropriation
result in the production of aesthetically successful works of
art?” and “Is cultural appropriation in the arts
morally objectionable?”

James O. Young is Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, University of Victoria. He has published extensively on philosophy of language and philosophy of art. His previous books include Global Anti-realism (1995) and Art and Knowledge (2001), and he is editor (with Conrad Brunk) of The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009).

Cultural appropriation is a pervasive feature of the
contemporary world (the Parthenon Marbles remain in London; white
musicians from Bix Beiderbeck to Eric Clapton have appropriated
musical styles from African-American culture)

Young offers the first systematic philosophical investigation
of the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation
gives rise

Tackles head on the thorny issues arising from the clash and
integration of cultures and their artifacts

Questions considered include: “Can cultural appropriation
result in the production of aesthetically successful works of
art?” and “Is cultural appropriation in the arts
morally objectionable?”

“Cultural Appropriation and the Arts, by James O. Young,
provides an analytical, comprehensive overview of ethical and
aesthetic issues concerning cultural appropriation.”
(Journal of Cult Economy, 25 March 2011)

"Thank goodness for James O. Young! Finally someone has cut through
the cant associated with cultural appropriation, weighed the issues
with care and a keen eye for irony, and clarified the ethical
limits of intercultural borrowing. This concise, accessible book
will be a bracing tonic for anyone interested in the global art
market, cultural property, and dilemmas of social justice in a
world of disappearing borders."
–Michael F. Brown, Williams College, author of Who
Owns Native Culture?

"Young's offers a measured and sensitive analysis of the moral
and aesthetic issues raised by cultural appropriation. He praises
responsible cultural appropriation and distinguishes this from
cultural appropriation that amount to theft and assault or that
cause profound offense. An interesting contribution to a topic that
has not received the attention from aestheticians that it
deserves."
–Stephen Davies, The University of Auckland

"Here at last is a philosophical work that cuts through the
precious nonsense and rhetoric written about the kinds of
appropriation bound to occur when the arts of one people bump up
against the arts of another. James O. Young is acutely sensitive to
the political sentiments that cloud these issues, but completely
clear and rigorous in his analysis. In its incisiveness and
honesty, Cultural Appropriation and the Arts is a major
contribution to cross-cultural aesthetics."
–Dennis Dutton, University of Canterbury, New
Zealand

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